Past District Deputy Grand Master's

PAST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTERS

The District Deputy Grand Master is the personal representative of the Most Worshipful Grand Master in the district. His Duty is to effectively communicate and work closely with the Masters of the District Masonic lodges in the advancement and promotion of Grand Lodge programs and activities for the year.

He is charged with the responsibility of assisting the Most Worshipful Grand Master in the execution of tasks and duties and as acting as a liaison between lodges and the Most Worshipful Grand Master. He is afforded the opportunity to interact with other District Deputy Grand Masters, the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Grand Lodge officers, and other Masonic members within and without the district. It is essential that he promote the Grand Lodge of Texas activities and programs within the district and throughout the State of Texas.

ELIAS RAMIREZ
PAST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER 1975

Bro. Elias Ramirez was born September 26, 1932 in Sugarland, Texas but his parents moved to Houston, Texas in 1933 where he has lived all of his life. He has a daughter, Rebecca Ann (husband William) and two granddaughters, Erin and Jaime. He has been married to Alice (Alicia) for 33 years. Alice has two daughters, Linda and Liz. Together, Alice and Elias raised a grandchild, Haley (husband Joaquin), who is now married and has given them a great-grandchild, Joaquin Elias Herrera.

Bro. Elias was raised a Master Mason in Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge No. 1397, in 1966. He served as Worshipful Master of the lodge from 1970 to 1971 and as District Deputy Grand Master in 1975. At the 1971 Grand Lodge Communication, he was appointed as a Fraternal Relations Officer with the Grand Lodge of Brazil. He also served as the District Masonic Relations Officer for Masonic District 30-E from 1991 to 1995.

He is still a very active member of Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge, having been a lodge instructor for the last 40 years and is currently the Lodge Treasurer. He was awarded the Golden Trowel, which is the highest honor a lodge can award to an individual member in 1995 for his dedication and service.

Bro. Elias was initiated a 32° Scottish Rite Freemason in the "Centennial Class" of 1967 and his immediate passion for the Scottish Rite, led him to be an active member of several degree teams, and also being the Degree Master of the 29th degree for over 30 years. His service to the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was recognized by the powers that be, and Bro. Elias' was awarded Masonic Honors in the Scottish Rite, being invested with the KCCH in 1977, and being coroneted a 33° Scottish Rite Freemason in 1999.

Bro. Elias is also a member of Washington Chapter No. 2 and Houston Council No. 1, and Ruthven Commandery No. 2 York Rite Bodies, all in Houston, Texas. He is also a Shriner in the Arabia Shrine.

Alice and Elias have spent most of their lives in the insurance business. Both are licensed insurance agents. Together they own and operate Elias Ramirez Insurance Agency in Houston, Texas.

EDUARDO F. CASTRO
PAST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER 1991

Bro. Eduardo Castro was born in Orizaba Veracruz, Mexico on October 13, 1919. He was an Army Sergeant, and served his country during WWII for 3 years. He being the patriotic man that he was, also served the local V.F.W. chapter as Commander and stayed very active for a number of years.

Bro. Eduardo was raised a Master Mason in Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge No. 1397, in 1964. He was Masonry personified. He loved Masonry with all his heart. He grew up with a fond respect for the craft from family members in Mexico. He served as Worshipful Master of Lorenzo de Zavala lodge from 1968 to 1969 and again from 1986 to 1987. He served the Grand Lodge of Texas as District Deputy Grand Master in 1991.

He was a very active member of Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge, having been a vital part of it's existence from the beginning. He was the lodge pillar that kept the lodge going and served as the lodge Secretary for many years. His portrait has been enshrined on the lodge hall of fame wall for his devoted and never ending service to the lodge.

Bro. Eduardo was initiated a 32° Scottish Rite Freemason in 1966 and for his years of never ending devotion and outstanding service to the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry led him to being awarded the most prestigous Masonic Honors in the Scottish Rite, being invested with the KCCH in 1975, and being coroneted a 33° Scottish Rite Freemason in 1985. He was on the Membership Committee, and also was a member of the 10th Degree Team.

Bro. Eduardo was also member of Will N. Kidd Chapter No. 424 and San Jacinto Council No. 347, and Ruthven Commandery No. 2, all York Rite Bodies located in Houston, Texas. He was also a Shriner in the Arabia Shrine, a member of the Chinar Grotto, and was a member of the North Side Chapter No. 651 OES. He also assisted the Masonic youth groups, more notably the Order of the Rainbow Girls, as his daughter Norma served as a presiding officer. He was honored by the International Order of Rainbow Girls for his leadership contributions and was awarded the Grand Cross of Color.

Regrettably, Bro. Eduardo Castro was called from labor on July 6, 1998 after a long illness, he will forever be remembered as the driving force of Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge.

MARTIN SALDUA
PAST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER 2001

Bro. Martin Saldua was born in Sugar Land, Texas in 1947. He and his wife Irma have been married for 26 years. They have three children, Martin Jr., Damon Michael, and Meagan Allyssa.

Bro. Martin was raised a Master Mason in Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge No. 1397, in 1986. He served as Worshipful Master of the lodge from 1994 to 1995 and as District Deputy Grand Master in 2001.

To know Martin Saldua - the man and the Mason - is to understand that it is not his nature to be content with the limited Masonic Knowledge available through the basic Masonic degrees. Thus, his search for additional Masonic light has led him to the degrees and orders of the York Rite of Freemasonry and to the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He served as High Priest and Thrice Illustrious Master of Washington Chapter No. 2 and Houston Council No. 1 in 2008, respectively. He also served as Eminent Commander of Ruthven Commandery No. 2 in 2009.

Memberships in other Masonic related organizations include: Arabia Shrine and the York Rite Invitation only Honorary bodies, AMD (Allied Masonic Degrees), and the Gulf Coast York Rite College No. 106. He is the first member of Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge to hold a Grand Office in an appendant Masonic body, having served as the Illustrious Grand Sentinel for the Most Illustrious Grand Council of Texas and as the Excellent Grand Guard of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Texas.

He is still very much active in his local community, having served as President of the Fort Bend County Water Control & Improvement District #2 and current Secretary/Treasurer, he is Past President of the Stafford Municipal School District, Past Vice-President of the Tax Board of Equalization, for the City of Stafford and also Past Assistant Fire Chief for the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department.

DAVID FERNANDEZ III
PAST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER 2011

Bro. David Fernandez III was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1969. He grew up in San Antonio, where he studied Mathematics and Chemistry after High School. He moved to Austin in 1992 and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering in the Fall of 1995. Upon graduation, Bro. David moved to Houston to begin his career as a Chemical Engineer.

Bro. David was raised a Master Mason in Northwest Lodge No. 1434, in 2005. Past Grand Master R:.W:. Reese L. Harrison, Jr. was present during his masonic raising and conferred the Master Mason degree per special request. Bro. David met PGM Harrison when he was a member of Albert Pike Chapter No. 58, Order of Demolay when he was 13 years old. He affliated with Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge in 2006, and served as the Worshipful Master of Lorenzo de Zavala lodge from 2008 to 2009 and was the District Deputy Grand Master for year 2011. Also at the 2011 Grand Lodge Communication, he was appointed as a Fraternal Relations Officer with the Grand Lodge of Honduras. He is a full member of the Sam Houston Hall of Fame, which supports the Grand Lodge of Texas Library and Museum.

Bro. David has such an admiration for Freemasonry, that immediately after becoming a Master Mason in 2005, he joined the York Rite of Freemasonry and also took the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He is a member of North Houston Chapter and Council and Melrose Commandery, all York Rite Bodies in Houston. And is a line officer of the Houston Chapter of Rose Croix in the Houston Scottish Rite. Bro. David is a 5 year member of the champion Melrose Knight Templar Class "A" Drill Team, which has brought home five state championships and two national championships in the last five years. He is also a member of the 27th, 29th, 30th, and 31st degree teams in the Houston Scottish Rite. He holds masonic honors in both the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite, having been conferred the Order of Knight of York honorary degree in the York Rite, and having been invested with the KCCH (Knight Commander of the Court of Honour) in 2009 from the Houston Scottish Rite.

Memberships in other Masonic organizations include: Endowed Memberships of the Texas Lodge of Research and Tranquility Lodge No. 2000, both being special lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of Texas. He is also an endowed member of Memorial Lodge No. 1298 in Houston. He is a member of the York Rite Honorary bodies; the Gulf Coast York Rite College, AMD, and The Knight Masons. He is also a member of the Chinar Grotto, the Arabia Shrine (Arabia Patrol Unit), The WSB Scottish Rite Club, The Philalethes Society, The Southern California Research Lodge, The Masonic Book Club, and is a founding member of The Masonic Society.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer(P.E.) in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, & Louisiana. He currently practices engineering in the Oil & Gas sector as a Sr. Process Engineer and has done extensive traveling in South America for a number of Natural Gas Processing projects.

Other Lodge History Exhibits :

·         Grand Lodge of Texas article about LDZ Under Dispensation
·         Charter Members
·         First Officers - 1962
·         Cornerstone Ceremony - 1976
·         Past District Deputy Grand Master's
·         Golden Trowel Recipients